The Minneapolis area is a beautiful place to live and visit. If you are planning a trip this summer, consider visiting Minneapolis to explore a new city. This area of our country offers so much, from all the attractions at The Mall of America to art museums, world class hotels, and incredible dining. Foodies, pay attention! You will want to hit up this area immediately. The dining choices are endless, and the food experiences are memorable. Here are six of our favorite restaurants to visit in and around Minneapolis.
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FireLake Grill House
FireLake Grill House is located in the Raddison Blu, inside the Mall of America. The restaurant serves farm to table, locally sourced ingredients. When visiting a new area, it is fun to eat locally and enjoy the food that area has to offer. Their beef is from a farm called Revier Cattle Co. This is sustainable beef! They feed cows with flax seed all their lives, so the meat is high in Omega 3’s making it delicious and healthier. The atmosphere here is chic, yet comfortable. Stop in for a drink; it is the best bar in the Mall of America.
The menus at FireLake Grill House are unique. Everyone in your party should order different things so you all can share and experience as much of the food here as possible. Breakfast choices range from classic bacon and eggs to Minnesota Wild Rice Pancakes with Chokecherry Syrup. Lunch here includes broccoli tots, flatbreads, steaks, walleye burgers, and more. For dinner, you will love the bacon wrapped quail legs, beer battered rock shrimp, beer battered cheese curds, grilled alaskan salmon, steak, walleye, and more. There are wines to pair with everything, and the dessert menu at FireLake Grill House is decadent!
Parma 8200
This classic Italian taverna is located in Bloomington. Named after the city of Parma in Italy, every detail here is inspired by that region of Italy. The menu is moderately priced, but really you are getting an amazing deal. This place is designed for foodies. Sit at the antipasti bar for a front row view as the chefs prepare this delicious food. Eat fresh here off the monthly menu with farm to table ingredients. The bar even features local beverages like beers from Goliath Brewing Company. You will want to return every month to try the new menu, especially the dessert. The dinner and lunch menus include authentic Italian meats and cheeses, flatbreads, salads, and of course, pasta! Vegetarians have plenty of options including seafood, and meat lovers will be happy with the selection as well. There are desserts and custom cocktails on the menu as well.
Parma 8200 is a hidden gem with a comfortable atmosphere. Inside the restaurant, lounge on the soft leather seating. Outside you can relax on the patio by the fireplaces, and even play pool at the outdoor pool table. Enjoy live music on Saturday nights for a date night that you will never forget. If you are looking for a hot spot for happy hour, the lounge or the patio is the place to be. The Primo bar menu is divine for after work. They make a burger from braised pork belly, and the shrimp skewers are addictive. Order a glass of wine and let the stresses of the day melt away.
Barbette
French cuisine is world renowned for its decadence. You don’t just eat a French meal; you live it! Barbette is a quirky and friendly brasserie where you will feel welcome as soon as you step foot through the door. If you crave local, sustainable food, this is the place. They love local food so much that they call the farmers their friends. The menu includes amazing ingredients like grass-fed heirloom Limousin beef, free-range organic pork, free-range organic chicken, and eggs, all locally sourced. Vegetarians are well fed here, as well as those eating gluten-free. If you enjoy tasting menus, call ahead and the chef will prepare one for you and your party.
You can dine here morning, noon, and night. The breakfast menu includes choices like Truffled Soft Scrambled Eggs, waffles, and espresso. The coffee is organic and roasted locally! Brunch here will knock your socks off. Dinner options include a buttery Vegetable Risotto, Beef Bourguignon, and starters like steamed mussels or warm olives. Sunday night at Barbette is called “Neighborhood Night” where they serve up burgers (veggie too!) and frites, sandwiches, pasta, and local drink specials. Happy Hour here features wine and beer on special with small plates to nosh on.
Melting Pot
The Melting Pot in Minneapolis is fine dining with a twist. This classic fondue restaurant offers a hands on dining experience. Arrive here ready to eat. You will go through several courses including salad, meat skewers, cheeses, breads, desserts, and more. If you are feeling really adventurous, we recommend the four course entree experience. It is the ultimate fondue experience and includes: cheese fondue, salad, entree, and dessert. There are vegetarian options and you can eat here gluten free.
The atmosphere here is comfortable, and you feel like you are dining privately with just your group. Kids can even enjoy the fondue experience. If you are dining or celebrating with a large group, book a party at The Melting Pot. They have multiple party rooms with the largest holding up to 40 guests.
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Cedar + Stone, Urban Table
Located in the JW Marriott in the Mall of America, Cedar and Stone gives you an urban dining experience in the suburbs. The menu at this restaurant fuses the latest in culinary tastes with the best of Minnesota. Many of their ingredients come from farmers within 200 miles of the restaurant. Because of this, the menu changes all the time based on seasonal selections and local availability.
Cedar and Stone is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the options are amazing for every meal. There are beers and spirits from local breweries and distilleries. Breakfast selections include sweet and savory dishes like maple bacon biscuits, pastries, and chicken and waffles. For lunch, order some small plates to share, like bison pot pie bites and roasted cauliflower. Dinner is amazing! Some standout dishes include charred vegetable risotto, truffle chicken, filo-dusted walleye, and more. Who doesn’t love a good brunch? Weekend brunch here is fantastic.
This wonderful restaurant is very convenient when you are visiting the Mall of America. Even when visiting in the heart of winter, you can get to Cedar and Stone without dealing with the weather. The atmosphere is clean and modern. This is one of the premier restaurants in the Minneapolis area and you can feel that in every detail of your experience here.
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Lela
This neighborhood restaurant in Bloomington is a creative and intriguing world class restaurant. The chef, Stewart Woodman, began his career in New York City, perfecting his craft in some of the finest establishments in the world. Lela has a friendly atmosphere. Sit in the lounge area, have a drink at the bar, and make yourself comfortable. The wine selection at Lela will delight any wine snob, and the cocktails are creative and refreshing.
From this open kitchen, you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, happy hour, and brunch! They do it all, and you will want to eat here at least once for every meal if you live in the area. Everything they make has a classic feel with a modern twist. The familiar is served up with enough of the unfamiliar to make for an enticing culinary experience. Lela serves breakfast favorites like Eggs Benedict or Buttermilk Pancakes. Have a Lela Bloody Mary! Lunch time offerings include a Price Fix Lunch that you can pop in and enjoy during your break, Monday through Friday. Come for early dinner and have a craft cocktail at the bar before your meal. The pasta is all made fresh in house. Order large plates to share. If you like steak, your selection will be cooked perfectly. If Lela is in your neighborhood, we are jealous! If you dine here while visiting, you will wish you were staying forever.
If you are lucky enough to live in the Minneapolis area, make this your restaurant bucket list for the summer. If you have a trip planned to the Minneapolis area, plan to arrive hungry. The dining here is world class, yet incorporates local ingredients and favorites. You feel like you really begin to understand a city when you dine the way locals dine, so make sure and visit these six restaurants in and around Minneapolis! If you live in the Minneapolis area or have visited already, what restaurant is on your must visit list?
If you are traveling and dining with kids, you need our Electronic-free Ideas To Keep Kids Busy at a Restaurant.
Photo Credits: EveryAvenueGirl
